Page 22 of Grown Folks Confessions: Black Lush

“Apparently Las Vegas streamlined their process, and we were certified within hours. Meaning, we legit put thought into this while we were drunk.”

Meeka’s laughter cut through my thoughts. “Meek, what’s so damn funny? You didn’t even laugh this hard when we updated y’all on what happened.”

“She’s laughing at this.” Layla scrolled through her phone, before turning it to me. “If you follow the hashtag, #VivaLasVegas on IG, which I do because there is some funny stuff on there, a video that someone posted caught my attention.”

My mouth opened. “What the …”

“Damn!” Tone exclaimed, looking at the video over my shoulder. “Is that y’all tonguing it down in front of the Bellagio water fountain?”

I tilted my head to the side. “Why the fuck are we on some dude’s lap?”

“My guess is that y’all drunk asses didn’t know you were on his lap,” Meeka said between her laughs. “He’s one of those performers who spray paints himself gold and goes completely still in a pose for hours. He happened to be posing on the bench, but y’all didn’t notice or didn’t give a fuck and probably sat on his lap.”

“I never even sat on Santa Claus’ lap in the mall when I was a kid,” I informed them. “So we were definitely too drunk to notice.”

“You know who else follows this hashtag apparently?” Layla asked, the crease in her forehead telling me she was pissed.

“Fuck.”

“Exactly!” She placed her phone back in her purse. “Navaeh’s assistant called when we didn’t show, and even though I’m sure I won’t get the investment, I want to explain myself. Would you be up for a quick dinner with Meeka and Tone, and then I’ll drive us through the night to Phoenix instead of leaving tomorrow?”

I nodded. “Of course. When I said I had your back through all this, I meant it. We’ll eat real quick and head out, but I’ll drive. You suck at driving at night.”

“Thank you.” She gently squeezed my arm, and even though we’d touched plenty of times, her fingers felt hot to the touch. However, she wouldn’t meet my eyes. A sign she was embarrassed or uncomfortable, but she didn’t need to be.

“We’ll worry about being legally married after we land you that investment.”

“I’m sorry I looped you into all this,” she said, worrying her bottom lip.

“La, quit that self-pity shit. We good and we’ll figure it out.”

She nodded. “Okay, I’ll try.”

The four of us headed out of the hotel and onto the strip, Meeka and Tone laughing at our expense, while Layla and I were quiet. As many times as I’d been to Vegas, no crazy shit like this had ever happened to me.And you don’t even remember shit.Another first for me. Blacking out to the point where the night is a blur was something I hadn’t done since college.

Even worse, watching Layla and I kiss like we did in the video was sexy as hell. She hadn’t kissed me like that in over a decade. Wasn’t sure who I’d screwed over recently, but clearly, karma wasn’t on my side for me to forget a kiss like that.

nine

Grown Folks Confession #9: A busload of friends is overrated when you just need three. One to rob the bank with you. One to drive the getaway car. And one as your alibi.

LAYLA

“Textme as soon as you get there,” Meeka reminded. “I mean that shit.” She pinned me with her serious stare while the guys put mine and Ares’ luggage in the trunk of our rental, which was luckily right where I’d remembered parking it a block from the strip the day before last.

“I’m gonna get us some snacks for the road,” Ares called out. “Do you need anything?”

“Whatever you get is fine,” I told him, before he and Tone walked off. “And I’ll definitely text you,” I answered, focusing back on Meeka. “I just can’t believe I fucked all this up so badly.”

Her eyes softened. “I’m sorry that you felt like you couldn’t talk to me with everything I had going on. But, sis, Ialwayshave your back. I may ask hella questions, but you can rely on me.”

“I know that,” I admitted. “But, Meek, I was embarrassed. When we met, we said we were going to be better than our parents.” I sighed. “My parents failed me every chance they got. Yet, here I am in more debt than I’ve ever been and married to the first guy I ever truly slept with.”

Meeka smirked. “I knew that tatted ass pretty boy was the one to take your virginity. Especially after you told me and the girls that lame story about you meeting some dude at an ice cream shop who you fell for. I was like, ‘Bitch, we know it was Ares.’”

I laughed. “We did meet at the ice cream shop, it was just before high school started. And technically, he didn’t take my virginity, but the guy who did wasn’t worth shit and it wasn’t until I sampled what Ares was laying down that I realized not all dicks are made equally.”

Meeka gawked. “Definitely not! There ain’t nothing worse than bad dick. But, girl …” Meeka nudged me. “Ares doesn’t just walk around like he’s had you before. Homeboy be looking at you sometimes like he discovered youfirst. Was the one to intimately study every part of you. I’ve just been waiting for you to own up to how you feel, because you do like him, right?”

---